10 hours ago
Following India’s strikes on Pakistan-sponsored terror camps, Islamabad appears to have weaponised social media by lifting its 15-month-long ban on X, using the platform to flood disinformation against India as part of its broader strategy.
On Thursday morning, several people in Pakistan reported being able to access X without virtual private networks (VPN). The platform was blocked by the government in February 2024. Access to the platform without a VPN was also confirmed by the Pakistani human rights activist.
Further verifying the platform’s reach, London-based internet monitoring site NetBlocks stated, “Metrics show access to X has been restored in Pakistan as conflict breaks out with neighbouring India.”
According to Pakistani news reports, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) formally informed a senate committee that the ban had been lifted.
Interestingly, the Shehbaz Sharif government, which had once used the X ban to silence Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, now appears to be leveraging the platform to unify voices against India. And PTI supporters, who had long demanded the ban’s removal, now find themselves aligned with the ruling regime in amplifying anti-India narratives. Khawaja Saad Rafique, a former minister, wrote: “Lifting the ban on X is a timely and correct move,” referring to the escalating India-Pakistan tensions.
Disinformation as a weapon
Since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan’s propaganda network has expanded operations. State-sponsored accounts — now harder to identify amid the surge of real Pakistani users returning to the platform — have been aggressively spreading disinformation targeting India’s military.
One viral video falsely claimed that the Indian Army waved white flags to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers. In reality, the video was from 2019, showing Pakistan Army troops waving white flags in the Hajipur sector of PoK, verified by the India Today Fact Check team.
In another instance of disinformation, Pakistani accounts circulated an image claiming to show a missile strike on an Indian airbase. However, fact-checks revealed the image was actually from an Israeli airstrike on Palestine dated April 16.
This surge in disinformation coincides with Pakistan lifting the ban on X, allowing broader public access that will now fuel the spread of such false narratives.
Published By:
Shipra Parashar
Published On:
May 9, 2025
